William is a ‘Hidden Hero’ from South Sudan helping World Vision share health and safety messages to other children in his community in Uganda. World Vision Photo.
With government intensifying efforts to contain the further spread of the novel coronavirus, a 14-year-old has together with World Vision in Uganda invented ways to raise awareness and protect populations in refugee camps against the virus.
William Ade, a primary four (4) student, is a COVID-19 prevention ambassador in his community in Omugo refugee settlement where he moves around the village with a megaphone sharing health and safety messages to fellow children.
Located in Arua district, Omugo settlement hosts thousands of refugees most especially from neighbouring South Sudan.
“I am telling people that because of Coronavirus, there should be no movement, no gathering in one place,” William says.
He continues, “No playing football, and if you see someone coming home, anyone, even if he is from South Sudan, let him first wash his hands before he comes to greet people.”
William, like thousands of students, can’t go to school due to the strict lockdown order issued by government earlier in March when the country confirmed her first case.
Uganda’s total confirmed cases now stand at 58, as of 20 April, 2020, with 38 recoveries. William’s message is “let the people follow what government said to avoid coronavirus.”
For World Vision in Uganda, children and other vulnerable groups in fragile contexts are among those that are greatly affected by the ongoing outbreak.
At Omugo settlement, the Christian Charity oversees the overall functioning of the reception centre.
They launched a US$1,010,000 COVID-19 Emergency Response on April 2, 2020 to support refugee communities in West Nile and 53 districts that they operate in.
“We are partnering with the Uganda Ministry of Health and local government to set up isolation centres with mattresses; provide food for suspected cases; train Village Health Teams (VHTs) to carry out door-to-door sensitisation with megaphones; distribute hand-washing facilities and soap to households and health centres; provide personal protective equipment for health workers; carry out sensitisation and awareness campaigns, and support coordination activities at district level,” World Vision said in a statement.
Although the organisation is responding to COVID-19 in every country, its ‘COVID-19 Emergency Response’ is focused on 17 initial priority countries. and is expected to reach 22.5 million people, half of them children, over the next six months.
Moses Odur, the Humanitarian Emergency Affairs Manager, says World Vision Uganda needs US$ 3.5 million to promote preventative measures to slow the spread of COVID-19, support health systems and workers and to provide children and their families multi-sector support during and after the crisis.
